What sort of paint is used to make the white
traffic markings on roads and in car parks ?
It seems good stuff.
Is it available commercially ?

Jim Hawkins

On Tuesday, June 25, 2013 1:47:00 PM UTC+1, Jim Hawkins wrote:
What sort of paint is used to make the white
traffic markings on roads and in car parks ?
It seems good stuff.
Is it available commercially ?

I've just googled for "white road marking paint" and found lots.

The stuff actually used on roads isn't really a paint, it's a solid
material which is melted, applied as a liquid, and then freezes. You
can get pre-cut strips which you lay on the surface and then melt
with a blowtorch. (The magic phrase is "thermoplastic".)

ah yes, kind of like a glue gun approach.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Martin Bonner" wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, June 25, 2013 1:47:00 PM UTC+1, Jim Hawkins wrote:
What sort of paint is used to make the white
traffic markings on roads and in car parks ?
It seems good stuff.
Is it available commercially ?

I've just googled for "white road marking paint" and found lots.

The stuff actually used on roads isn't really a paint, it's a solid
material which is melted, applied as a liquid, and then freezes. You
can get pre-cut strips which you lay on the surface and then melt
with a blowtorch. (The magic phrase is "thermoplastic".)

On 25/06/2013 13:47, Jim Hawkins wrote:
What sort of paint is used to make the white
traffic markings on roads and in car parks ?
It seems good stuff.
Is it available commercially ?

A variety of different types from one supplier. Other suppliers are
available:

The most durable:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-thermoline-lines.html

The easiest to apply:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-easymar...ng-system.html

Chlorinated rubber paints:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-roadmarker.html
http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-roadmarker-reflective.html

Acrylic paint:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-trafficline.html

Colin Bignell

Nightjar wrote:
On 25/06/2013 13:47, Jim Hawkins wrote:
What sort of paint is used to make the white
traffic markings on roads and in car parks ?
It seems good stuff.
Is it available commercially ?

A variety of different types from one supplier. Other suppliers are
available:

The most durable:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-thermoline-lines.html

The easiest to apply:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-easymar...ng-system.html

Chlorinated rubber paints:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-roadmarker.html
http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-roadmarker-reflective.html

Acrylic paint:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-trafficline.html

Colin Bignell


Thanks for that Colin.
There was a time when you could get textured exterior paints
that were both reasonably thixotropic and which contained anti-fungal
additives too.
A search of my local B&Q (both by me and a B&Q salesperson)
failed to yield a single example of that type.
What it did reveal was an unbelievable hotch-potch of paints, with no
attempt at division into interior and exterior, surface finishes - or
any other property. Many had brief, vague descriptions with little
indication of their content or intended application.

Jim Hawkins

On 25/06/2013 16:09, Jim Hawkins wrote:
Nightjar wrote:
On 25/06/2013 13:47, Jim Hawkins wrote:
What sort of paint is used to make the white
traffic markings on roads and in car parks ?
It seems good stuff.
Is it available commercially ?

A variety of different types from one supplier. Other suppliers are
available:

The most durable:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-thermoline-lines.html

The easiest to apply:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-easymar...ng-system.html

Chlorinated rubber paints:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-roadmarker.html
http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-roadmarker-reflective.html

Acrylic paint:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-trafficline.html

Colin Bignell


Thanks for that Colin.
There was a time when you could get textured exterior paints
that were both reasonably thixotropic and which contained anti-fungal
additives too.

Specialist masonry paints but you won't find them in a shed.

A search of my local B&Q (both by me and a B&Q salesperson)
failed to yield a single example of that type.
What it did reveal was an unbelievable hotch-potch of paints, with no
attempt at division into interior and exterior, surface finishes - or
any other property. Many had brief, vague descriptions with little
indication of their content or intended application.

One tip is avoid any paints that have their instructions in too many
different languages - in particular southern European ones. The best
paint formulation varies with latitude and anything sold over too wide a
geographic area has to be a compromise. The new generation of solvent
free water based exterior paints don't last anything like as well as the
old oil based ones no matter how carefully they are applied.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 16:09:08 +0100, Jim Hawkins wrote:

There was a time when you could get textured exterior paints
that were both reasonably thixotropic and which contained anti-fungal
additives too.
A search of my local B&Q (both by me and a B&Q salesperson)
failed to yield a single example of that type.
What it did reveal was an unbelievable hotch-potch of paints, with no
attempt at division into interior and exterior, surface finishes - or
any other property. Many had brief, vague descriptions with little
indication of their content or intended application.

No Dulux Weathershield Exterior Masonry Paint (smooth or textured)? I
think that has anti fungal additive and is pretty damn tough stuff
when dry/cured. I was surprised when a wire brush hardly scratched
the surface when cleaning up a bit of stone around where a patch
hadn't adhered.

Sandtex is another masonry paint that I'd expect to find in the
sheds.

I may have used the "trade" Weathershield rather than retail, what is
your application?

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 25/06/2013 16:51, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 16:09:08 +0100, Jim Hawkins wrote:

There was a time when you could get textured exterior paints
that were both reasonably thixotropic and which contained anti-fungal
additives too.
A search of my local B&Q (both by me and a B&Q salesperson)
failed to yield a single example of that type.
What it did reveal was an unbelievable hotch-potch of paints, with no
attempt at division into interior and exterior, surface finishes - or
any other property. Many had brief, vague descriptions with little
indication of their content or intended application.

No Dulux Weathershield Exterior Masonry Paint (smooth or textured)? I
think that has anti fungal additive and is pretty damn tough stuff
when dry/cured. I was surprised when a wire brush hardly scratched
the surface when cleaning up a bit of stone around where a patch
hadn't adhered.

Sandtex is another masonry paint that I'd expect to find in the
sheds.

I may have used the "trade" Weathershield rather than retail, what is
your application?


Bondaglass Voss used to make the white paint used for the lines on the
edge of London Underground platforms. I imagine durability and fast
drying were the main criteria, so probably a urethane of some kind.
Amazingly they still don't have a website, but they do make exceedingly
fine paints

On 25/06/2013 16:51, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 16:09:08 +0100, Jim Hawkins wrote:

There was a time when you could get textured exterior paints
that were both reasonably thixotropic and which contained anti-fungal
additives too.
A search of my local B&Q (both by me and a B&Q salesperson)
failed to yield a single example of that type.
What it did reveal was an unbelievable hotch-potch of paints, with no
attempt at division into interior and exterior, surface finishes - or
any other property. Many had brief, vague descriptions with little
indication of their content or intended application.

I rather doubt that road marking paint is a viable alternative. Watco
also do exterior wall paints, although they are aimed at the industrial
sector and, like all Watco products, are not the cheapest:

http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-all-wea...nry-paint.html
http://www.watco.co.uk/watco-weatherguard-10.html

No Dulux Weathershield Exterior Masonry Paint (smooth or textured)? I
think that has anti fungal additive and is pretty damn tough stuff
when dry/cured. I was surprised when a wire brush hardly scratched
the surface when cleaning up a bit of stone around where a patch
hadn't adhered.

Sandtex is another masonry paint that I'd expect to find in the
sheds...

Sandtex has long been my preferred exterior paint. Both B&Q and Homebase
are listed as stockists on the Sandtex website, although, looking at my
local area, not every store of each is included.

Colin Bignell

In article ,
Jim Hawkins wrote:
What sort of paint is used to make the white
traffic markings on roads and in car parks ?
It seems good stuff.
Is it available commercially ?


It's not really paint - it's melted and put down, and sets almost instantly.

I used to know someone who described himself as a "thermoplastic application
engineer". He "painted" white lines in carparks...

Darren

Its very thick, usually not so much paint as some kind of thick goo, at
least it looked that way to me some time back when I could see it.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Jim Hawkins" wrote in message
...
What sort of paint is used to make the white
traffic markings on roads and in car parks ?
It seems good stuff.
Is it available commercially ?

Jim Hawkins

Brian Gaff wrote:
Its very thick, usually not so much paint as some kind of thick goo, at
least it looked that way to me some time back when I could see it.
Brian

As others have said, it's a thermoplastic compound, often with glass
beads mixed in to make it retroreflective.

In France and across most of mainland Europe, they just seem to use the
cheapest nastiest paint they can find, so all trace of the markings
disappears at night in the rain. It only lasts a few months before it
disappears entirely in the dry, too.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

On 26/06/2013 21:14, John Williamson wrote:
Brian Gaff wrote:
Its very thick, usually not so much paint as some kind of thick goo,
at least it looked that way to me some time back when I could see it.
Brian

As others have said, it's a thermoplastic compound, often with glass
beads mixed in to make it retroreflective.

In France and across most of mainland Europe, they just seem to use the
cheapest nastiest paint they can find, so all trace of the markings
disappears at night in the rain. It only lasts a few months before it
disappears entirely in the dry, too.


And isn't it wonderful when you reach a complex junction with almost
entirely worn out yellow box, white lines, red lines, all covered with
rain, in the dark. And the lighting seems to highlight the layout which
was there many years ago and miss the current one...

I seem to remember many roads in the UK had wonderful, really bright
white lines even under the relatively crappy headlamps of the day. So
few now are ever as good.

--
Rod